


Most Of All

by amandaithink



Series: Keeping You [4]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Episode: s02e11 Fear Her, Established Relationship, F/M, Ficandchips, Fluff, Light Angst, Telepathic Bond, Telepathy, episode rewrite, timepetalsweek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:34:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25436248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amandaithink/pseuds/amandaithink
Summary: The Doctor and Rose's honeymoon takes a slight detour.
Relationships: Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler
Series: Keeping You [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1837879
Comments: 17
Kudos: 74





	Most Of All

**Author's Note:**

> This is for [Day 3 of Time Petals Week!](https://timepetalsweek.tumblr.com/post/624242325446639616/day-3-begins)  
> I used two of the prompts, the picture prompt and 'wife'.
> 
> If you haven't read the other fics in the series, there isn't a plot to follow. They're bonded.
> 
> Note: I feel like the previous fics in the series could be read as canon compliant (or at least I can). This is where I feel like I _officially_ break from canon, hence the additional au tag.
> 
> Eternal love for [more1weasley](https://archiveofourown.org/users/more1weasley/pseuds/more1weasley) for betaing & super helpful title suggestions!! <333
> 
> All mistakes are mine.
> 
> I own nothing.

“So, where are we going?” Rose asked as she entered the console room, skipping right over to where he was quickly compensating for time flux and gravitational waves.

“Give us a tick,” the Doctor said, spinning around and managing to give his wife a quick peck on the forehead before getting to the navigational controls. Their bond was glowing, warm and happy with her excitement at traveling to somewhere new.

He did find himself missing catching all of her stray thoughts, though. But they had spent a decent chunk of the previous day working on her telepathy, and she had managed to construct some quite decent barriers, for a human. Well, for anyone, really. And as much as he wanted to run a bunch of scans in the TARDIS med bay, and as much as he _needed_ to hole up in the library with as many old tomes as he could find until he figured out what exactly their bond _was_ … it could all wait. That stuff was for _after_ their honeymoon.

A now-familiar pang of guilt hit him, and he quickly dismissed it. He really shouldn’t be putting it off. It was important. Incredibly important. But yet …

“Here we are!” the Doctor exclaimed, landing the TARDIS with a flourish (and a bit of turbulence).

“Gonna tell me where, or do I haveta guess?” Rose asked, grinning from where she was still gripping the console as he rushed to open the door - aaaand that seemed to be a bin of some sort.

“Ah.”

He backed up and closed the door to find his bondmate had moved and was now leaning against the railing.

“What’s wrong?”

“Doors not facing the right way. Gotta turn her around.”

“Not so good at the parallel parking?” she laughed.

“You don’t parallel park a TARDIS! There must be temporary construction in the area. Also, you distracted me,” he defended, running back to the console and making some quick adjustments.

“Distracted ya? What did I do?”

“You were … there.”

Rose crossed her arms and tried to look offended, but ended up giving him his favorite smile.

_I love you_ , she projected across the bond.

_I love you, too_.

He was never going to get tired of this, he was absolutely certain of it. And _now_ they should be in business. He ran back to the door, more than ready to get on with their day.

“Ah!”

Finally outside, but not quite as close to their intended destination as he’d hoped. Still, if he was judging things correctly, they were still on the torch path. And in time to see the torch pass, so all in all, good. Quite good. Maybe. Hopefully.

“So, near future, yeah?”

The Doctor turned to see Rose examining a poster. _Deducting_.

“I had a passing fancy. Only it didn’t pass, it stopped.” He took her hand, leading her up the street, and he finally answered her earlier question. “Thirtieth Olympiad.”

“No way!” she exclaimed, letting go of his hand to link their elbows, pulling him closer. “Why didn’t I think of this? That’s great.”

Waves of love and happiness poured over their connection. He was really quite good at this honeymoon business.

“Only seems like yesterday a few naked Greek blokes were tossing a discus about, wrestling each other in the sand with crowds stood around baying. No, wait a minute, that was Club Med. Just in time for the opening doo dah, ceremony, tonight. I thought you’d like that. Last one they had in London was dynamite. Wembley, 1948. I loved it so much, I went back and watched it all over again. Fella carrying the torch. Lovely chap, what was his-? Mark? John? Mark? Legs like pipe cleaners, but strong as a whippet,” he rambled, barely noticing as she let go of him.

“Doctor.”

“And in those days, everybody had a tea party to go to.”

“Doctor!”

“Did you ever have one of those little cakes with the crunchy ball bearings on top?”

“You should really look at this.”

He turned around, finally registering the concern his wife was broadcasting.

“Do you know those things? Nobody else in the entire galaxy’s ever even bothered to make edible ball bearings. Genius,” he said, just to finish the thought. This gob of his, sometimes he really couldn’t help himself. The Doctor wasn’t sure how she put up with it, but was very glad she did.

His jaw dropped as he looked at the missing posters.

“What’s taking them, do you think?” He turned around, this time really _looking_ at their surroundings. Needed to pay attention, _really_ pay attention. “Snatching children from a thoroughly ordinary street like this. Why’s it so cold? Is someone reducing the temperature?”

“It says they all went missing this week. Why would a person do something like this?” Rose asked, her heartbreak evident even without their bond.

“What makes you think it’s a person?”

“Whatever it is, it’s got-”

Aha! There!

He raced over to a nearby garden where spacetime felt funny. Not right. Definitely wrong. The Doctor held a hand out, kneeling down. It was also even colder here. If he could just figure out _how_ it was wrong …

When he exhaled, he could see his breath. In the middle of summer. Oh, this was not right _at all_.

“Ooo, tickles!” he couldn’t help but smile. This was weird. Strange. But _new_. Had to smile at that. Loved new things … though less so when they were stealing children.

“What’s your game?”

The Doctor startled, having been so absorbed with the phenomena that he hadn’t noticed a man approach him from behind. He quickly turned, staring up at a thoroughly ordinary human - likely not responsible for this. Probably lived on the street. Likely this was _his_ garden.

“My, er- Snakes and Ladders? Quite good at squash. Reasonable.” The man was looking less than impressed. Where had his wife wandered off to? She was the one who was good at- at defusing these kind of situations. “I’m being facetious, aren’t I? There’s no call for it.”

The Doctor gulped, and the man began advancing. He quickly stood up, trying to avoid confrontation. Just- just needed a reasonable explanation for being here! Right, er …

“I’m- I’m a police officer!” He claimed as he backed away. “That’s what I am. I’ve got a badge and a police car. You don’t have to get- I can- I can prove it. Just hold on.” He dug around in his pockets, trying to find the psychic paper.

Rose’s exasperation was palpable. Good, there she was. Actually, he was starting to notice a difference in the connection, proximity-wise, that he hadn’t before. Maybe it was settling? Getting stronger? More attuned? Now really wasn’t the time to ponder it.

_Where_ were _you?_ he asked her mentally.

“We’ve had plenty of coppers poking around here, and you don’t look or sound like any of them,” the man accused.

_I was right where ya left me!_ she complained, and yeah really needed to focus, couldn’t waste time debating who wandered off when.

“See, look. I’ve got a partner. Lewis.”

“Well, she looks less like a copper than you do.”

“Training. New recruit. Actually, she’s also my wife, so, voila!” The Doctor flashed the psychic paper, hopeful that now they’d be able to get back on track. They’d started to draw in a crowd.

“What are you going to do?” a woman asked.

“The police have knocked on every door. No clues, no leads, nothing,” another, more elderly woman informed him.

“Look, kids run off sometimes, alright? That’s what they do,” the angry-garden-man said, and oh _that_ explained a lot, really, didn’t it?

_He’s probly just scared_ , Rose informed him over the bond. He was positive that his wife was much more compassionate than that man deserved.

_Also, are you gonna tell everyone we meet that I’m your wife?_ She seemed quite amused.

_Probably_ , he answered, turning ever so slightly toward her. _Yes. Why not?_

_I don’t think it helped your policeman story_. 

“Saw it with me own eyes. Dale Hicks in your garden, playing with your Tommy, and then poof! Right in front of me, like he was never there. There’s no need to look any further than this street. It’s right here amongst us.”

Rose’s thoughts toward the man became much less flattering, and he dropped their telepathic conversation. Didn’t have a good response for her, anyway. He’d mostly just been bragging, and that didn’t seem like a good excuse.

“Why don’t we-”

The Doctor was immediately interrupted by another human who he hadn’t even noticed walk up.

“Why don’t we start with him?” She pointed toward the man Rose had been speaking to a moment ago. “There’s been all sorts like him in this street, day and night.”

“Fixing things up for the Olympics!”

“Yeah, and taking an awful long time about it,” the annoying-garden-human chimed in, because of course he would. He tried to get control of the situation.

“I’m of the opinion that all we’ve got to do is just-”

“You don’t- what you just said, that’s slander!”

Cut off again. Really, this was getting ridiculous. An irritation feedback-loop was starting to happen in their heads and _oh_ , that’s just rubbish. As much as the Doctor loved their bond, he could do without _that_.

“I don’t care what it is.”

“I think we need to just-”

No one was letting him _talk_!

“I want an apology off her.”

“Stop picking on him.”

This was bloody ridiculous!

“Yeah, stop picking on me.”

“And stop pretending to be blind. It’s evil!”

Does he just have the kind of face that no one wants to listen to? That must be it, because no one ever wanted to _listen_.

“I don’t believe in evil.”

“Oh no, you just believe in tarmackers with sackloads of kidnapped kiddies in their van.”

“Here, here, here, that’s not what she’s saying.”

“Would you stop ganging up on me?”

“Feeling guilty, are we?”

“Fingers on lips!” he shouted, miming the action, finally having had quite enough. No wonder these people couldn’t figure out what was going on, all they wanted to do was argue!

_They’re scared_ , Rose reminded him as everyone slowly followed his lead.

He just eyed her until she followed along as well. Needed to keep the suggestion strong if he wanted to keep them from going off again. He was broadcasting it very strongly, with what limited outward telepathy he had. Strange that his bondmate wasn’t susceptible to it, actually. 

Ugh, yet another thing he’d have to look into. Later, though.

“In the last six days, three of your children have been stolen. Snatched out of thin air, right?”

“Er, can I?” the oldest woman asked.

Finally, some polite-ness.

He ignored Rose’s mental scoff, gesturing for the woman to go ahead.

“Look around you. This was a safe street ’til it came. It’s not a person. I’ll say it if no one else will. Maybe you’re coppers, maybe you’re not. I don’t care who you are. Can you please help us?”

The air grew colder as she spoke, a spike of fear shooting through their connection as Rose looked around trying to figure out what it was, where it was coming from.

Everyone was quick to disperse after that, which was fine. Gave them time to investigate. The Doctor began sniffing around - literally. He had a great nose, and this area smelled off.

“Want a hanky?” Rose asked.

“Can you smell it? What does it remind you of?”

“Sort of metal?”

“Mmhmm.” He grinned, pleased.

“Ohhhh,” she smiled and they began to walk along, following what leads the neighbors had been able to give them.

“Sorry about this, by the way,” the Doctor said, taking her hand, every so often taking a big whiff.

“Huh? Sorry ‘bout what?”

“This isn’t very honeymoon-y, is it?”

“Ah, I don’t know about that,” Rose grinned. “It’s _us_ after all. Seems par for the course, actually.”

“It is, isn’t it?” And he knew he had a big, dopey grin, but he really didn’t care. Because it _was_ very them. The Doctor and Rose Tyler, the Stuff of Legends, solving a mystery. Saving the day.

They entered the back alley, easy enough to find without the directions. Just had to follow his nose.

“Danny Edwards cycled in one end but never came out the other. Whoa, there it goes again!” he paused at the tingly feeling, dropping her hand in order to show her. “Look at the hairs on the back of my manly hairy hand.”

“And there’s that smell. It’s like a, er, a burnt fuse plug or something.”

“There’s a residual energy in the spots where the kids vanished. Whatever it was, it used an awful lot of power to do this.”

They continued walking, looking for _something_ , he just didn’t know _what_ yet. But the Doctor had no doubt that they’d find it eventually.

“Aren’t you a beautiful boy?” Rose said, seemingly out of nowhere, but he definitely wasn’t complaining.

“Thanks! I’m experimenting with back combing- oh.”

She was talking to a _cat_.

“I used to have one like you.”

She turned in time to see his frown. “What?”

“No, I’m not really a cat person. Once you’ve been threatened by one in a nun’s wimple, it kind of takes the joy out of it.”

Unfortunately, the bond didn’t really allow for much deception. Or _any_ , really.

“Oh, did you think I was talkin’ to you?” she asked, giving him a cheeky grin. “Don’t worry. I like you better. And your hair _does_ look great.”

The Doctor preened, even as her attention was drawn back to the cat. He supposed they weren’t _too_ bad.

_You’re full of it, you are_.

He diplomatically ignored that as she followed the cat. He looked around, trying to figure out where to go next.

“Doctor!” she called after a moment. He turned to see her kneeling next to a cardboard box, not a cat in sight as he walked over.

“Phew,” she exclaimed, dropping the box after taking a sniff and-

“Whoa!” Now _that_ was a smell! “Hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo. Ion residue. Blimey!” He picked up the box, wondering if it had any other clues. “That takes some doing. Just to snatch a living organism out of space-time. This baby is just like, I’m having some of that. I’m impressed.”

“So the cat’s been transported?”

“It can harness huge reserves of ionic power. We need to find the source of that power. Find the source and you will find whatever has taken to stealing children and fluffy animals. See what you can see. Keep them peeled, Lewis,” he told her. Now they were getting somewhere!

The Doctor grabbed her hand, feeling newly energized for their investigation.

“See, you’re lovin’ this,” Rose whispered in his ear, following along on her tiptoes in order to reach. “Makes it very honeymoon-y.”

“Fair enough,” he smiled, turning to give her a kiss on the cheek, but getting the aim off with their walking and landing on her temple. A lightning shock of _love_ zapped across the bond.

“Oooh we’re gonna have to try that again later,” he said, eyebrows raised in surprise.

“Yeah, yeah. Best not get distracted now, though,” Rose agreed, a slight blush growing across her cheeks.

Maybe it was a good thing right now, having decent barriers up, but the Doctor was starting to think that he really didn’t prefer it. While he still didn’t feel alone in his head, he really did like knowing what she was thinking. They’d have to figure something out. Later, of course.

“So, do ya think we should split up?” she asked. “Cover more ground?”

“But we’re on our honeymoon,” he complained. “Shouldn’t we stick together?”

“True, but the sooner we figure this out, the sooner we can go to the Olympics,” his wife brilliantly pointed out.

“I suppose,” the Doctor hedged, still pouting, but more for show than anything else. He knew he wasn’t fooling her.

“I love you,” Rose told him, pulling him down for a kiss that he now knew better than to try to deepen.

“I love you, too,” he murmured, and then she was walking away. It took him another moment to get back on track after watching her go. Her bum really _did_ look fantastic in those jeans. Even more fantastic without them, though.

The Doctor shook his head, refocusing. Right! Children to save. Mystery to solve. Needed more clues. He wandered around, but wasn’t finding any leads.

At a loss, he decided to find Rose again, see if she was having any luck. And good thing he did! Distress began to permeate their connection, positively bombarding him. The Doctor began to sprint down the street, finding that their bond really was incredibly helpful for pinpointing her exact location. As soon as he caught up with her, he found her knocked onto her back, being attacked by some sort of- actually, he didn’t know what.

“Stay still!” he shouted, not slowing down as he brandished his sonic. Luckily the ionic neutralization setting immediately did the trick. The creature shrunk down and Rose was quick to catch it.

“Okidokie?” he asked, pulling her up and opening the bond as wide as he could on his end in order to check on her. She seemed well. Good.

“Yeah, cheers,” she panted.

“No probs,” he smiled, wrapping her in a hug that he didn’t really want to end.

_I’m fine_ , she mentally assured him. And he knew that, but still. First real bit of danger since they’d bonded, the Doctor was pretty sure he was allowed to overreact just a smidge. Eventually he did let her go … slightly, still kept one arm around her. Just because.

Rose held out the tiny ion creature- well, _thing_ , really, in her palm.

“I’ll give you a fiver if you can tell me what the hell it is, because I haven’t got the foggiest,” he admitted.

“Well, I can tell you you’ve just killed it.”

“It was never living. It’s animated by energy,” he explained. “Same energy that’s snatching people. That is so dinky! The go-anywhere creature. Fits in your pocket, makes friends, impresses the boss, breaks the ice at parties.” The Doctor put the thing in his pocket. “We should head back to the TARDIS, analyze it.”

“Yeah, alright. Sounds like a plan.”

So they headed back, his arm never leaving her waist. Rose snuggled into his side, breathing now even and steady, just as it should be.

“I’m glad you’re alright,” he said needlessly, kissing the top of her head.

“Me too,” she chuckled.

“This is going to take some getting used to, adventuring with the bond.”

“You mean you didn’t used to freak out like that if I got in trouble?”

Hmm … she _did_ have a point.

“Still,” he continued, “it is different, being able to feel it all in each others heads. Makes everything more real, not that it isn’t real. More, more …” He couldn’t think of the right word.

“Terrifying?”

“Yeah.”

Rose sighed, gripping him a little tighter. “I think we’ll get used to it. If anything, it’ll help. Don’t ya think?”

“Mmm yeah, you’re right. Have you noticed that there’s this, this increased awareness of exactly _where_ you are, or is it just me?” the Doctor asked, always curious as to exactly how she was experiencing all this. You know, as a human.

“Dunno, wasn’t really payin’ attention,” she admitted. “I’ll try to remember later.”

“If I ever let you wander off again.”

“Oh, please,” she laughed, shoving him away just as the TARDIS came into view.

“That’s rule number one, you know. Don’t wander off. And for some reason I let you.”

_Says the king of wandering off._

_Dunno what you’re talking about_ , he blatantly lied, opening the TARDIS doors and jogging up to the console, ready to continue their investigation.

He quickly inserted the ion creature into the TARDIS’ analyzing feeds, and it didn’t take long for results to start loading onto the monitor.

“Oh, hi ho, here we go. Let’s have a look.” The readings finished, and- “Get out of here!”

“What’s it say?” Rose asked, looking at the read out despite not being able to read Circular Gallifreyan. Maybe he should teach her? Would be a lot of work, though, and he was already teaching her about telepathy. Plus, there was really no point in her knowing how to read it if she couldn’t speak it. Should he try to teach her Gallifreyan?

_Focus_ , Rose laughed in his head.

The Doctor picked up the creature, pulled a pencil out of his pocket, and erased a bit of it.

“It is!” He blew off the eraser shavings, shocked. “It’s graphite. Basically the same material as an HB pencil.”

“I was attacked by a pencil scribble?”

“Scribble creature, brought into being with ionic energy.” Now that _was_ new. And strange. Very, very strange. “Whatever we’re dealing with, it can create things as well as take them. But why make a scribble creature?”

“Maybe it was a mistake?” Rose suggested. “I mean, you scribble over something when you want to get rid of it, like a- like a drawing. Like a- like a child’s drawing. You said it was in the street.”

“Probably.”

“The girl.”

“Of course!” Wait. “What girl?”

“Something about her gave me the creeps. Even her own mum looked scared of her.”

“Are you deducting?” he asked, grinning.

“Think I am,” his wife smirked.

“Copper’s hunch?”

“Permission to follow it up, Sarge?”

“You betcha,” he said before pulling Rose in for a proper snog.

Rose was laughing breathlessly once he finally released her. “This is some police department we’ve got here.”

“Best in the Universe,” the Doctor asserted.

“No complaints here.”

With that, she took his hand and led the way to this house and girl he hadn’t realized she’d noticed earlier. You’d think he would have, with the bond. To be fair, there was a lot going on at the time.

They rang the doorbell, and then knocked when it seemed to be taking a while. Eventually one of the women from earlier answered.

“Hello! I’m the Doctor and this is my wife, Rose,” he greeted, speaking quickly. “Can we see your daughter?”

“No, you can’t,” she immediately refused, and Rose was right, this woman was _terrified_. He must not have been able to pick it up earlier, what with the whole mob of scared humans yelling at each other. Thank goodness for his bondmate.

“Okay. Bye!”

They walked away, waiting. Hopefully this mother could admit she needed help.

_Flatterer_ , Rose accused over the bond, replaying his earlier thoughts and making him realize that he’d never put his barriers back up. Honestly, he wasn’t sure he cared to.

_Nope_ , he quickly denied. Because really, he wasn’t. The woman spoke before she had a chance to respond.

“Why? Why do you want to see Chloe?”

They stopped, both turning slightly.

“Well, there’s some interesting stuff going on in this street, and I just thought- _well_ , we thought that she might like to give us a hand,” the Doctor said.

“Sorry to bother you,” Rose added.

“Yeah, sorry. We’ll let you get on with things. On your own. Bye again!”

He took Rose’s hand, starting to walk away again, and then …

“Wait!”

Knew it. They stopped and turned fully this time.

“Can you help her?” the poor mum asked.

“Yes, we can,” he promised, and then she let them inside.

“I’m sorry, what was your name?” Rose asked as they passed through the door.

“Oh, it’s Trish.”

“Hello, Trish,” the Doctor smiled, hoping to put her at ease. “Now, tell us about Chloe.”

They settled into the living room, Rose taking a seat on the couch as he shed his coat.

“She stays in her room most of the time. I try talking to her, but it’s like trying to speak to a brick wall. She gives me nothing, just asks to be left alone.”

“What about Chloe’s dad?”

“Chloe’s dad died a year ago.”

“I’m sorry,” Rose said, her guilt and sympathy radiating through the bond.

“You wouldn’t be if you’d known him,” Trish was quick to dismiss.

“Well, let’s go and say hi,” he suggested.

“I should check on her first. She might be asleep.”

_She’s so afraid_ , Rose mentally frowned. _A mum shouldn’t be afraid of her kid_.

“Why are you so afraid of her, Trish?” he asked aloud, because she was right to be upset. This was wrong, and they needed to know _why_.

“I want you to know before you see her that she’s a really great kid,” Trish told them, not answering the question.

“I’m sure she is.”

“She’s never been in trouble at school. You should see her report from last year- A’s and B’s.”

“Can I use your loo?” Rose asked, while informing him telepathically that she planned to continue investigating. What a great trick. She really was so good at this domestic human stuff - he would have never thought of that.

Trish nodded, and the Doctor did his best not to give anything away.

“She’s in the choir,” Trish continued as Rose left the room, “she’s singing in an old folks home. Any mum would be proud. You know, I want you to know these things before you see her, Doctor, because right now she’s not herself.”

He nodded.

“But she’s just been- she stays cooped up in her room, and she hasn’t been sleeping, and I’m worried.”

Still didn’t explain why she was so terrified of her daughter.

“We’re gonna help you,” he promised again. “Help her.”

“God, I hope so,” Trish sighed, just as he heard footsteps on the stairs that weren’t Rose’s - he knew those footsteps.

They were both quiet, listening as Chloe moved about the house. He glanced at Trish, raising his eyebrows, and after a moment the woman nodded and they slowly followed her daughter into the kitchen.

“Alright, there?” he asked, taking a seat on their kitchen table as Chloe rummaged about the fridge, paying him no mind. “I’m the Doctor.”

“I’m Chloe Webber.”

“How’re you doing, Chloe Webber?”

“I’m busy,” she answered. “I’m making something, aren’t I, mum?”

“And like I said, she’s not been sleeping,” Trish said, and he could tell. The child looked exhausted.

“But you’ve been drawing, though,” The Doctor continued on, trying to see if he could get Chloe to open up at all, “I’m rubbish. Stick men about my limit. Can do this, though.” He held up his hand in the Vulcan salute (Rose and her ‘Spock’ comments, ugh).

“Can you do that?”

“They don’t stop moaning,” Chloe said, and what?

“Chloe,” Trish interrupted, and didn’t she understand that he was finally getting somewhere?

“I try to help them, but they don’t stop moaning.”

“Who don’t?” he asked.

“We can be together.”

“Sweetheart.” Trish tried to give her daughter a hug but was quickly rebuffed.

“Don’t touch me, mum.”

Trish gave him a look, a ‘do you see what I’m saying’ kind of look. He honestly didn’t know what to tell her.

“So, Chloe, tell me about your drawings?” the Doctor asked, having a strong feeling that it must be connected to the moaning, and the ion energy, and the missing kids.

“I’m busy, Doctor.”

“Come on, Chloe. Don’t be a spoil sport. What’s the big project?” he asked, following her out of the kitchen. “I’m dying to know. What’re you making up there?”

Rose’s fear shot across their shared mental space just as she shouted, “Doctor!”

And then he was running up the stairs as fast as he possibly could.

“I’m coming to hurt you,” he heard a deep voice saying, apparently coming out of the cupboard, which he quickly closed as he slid to a stop. He brushed his hands over her cheeks and shoulders, knowing she was _fine_ but just- that was twice now.

“Look at it,” she told him, even as she played the encounter over the bond.

“No, ta.”

There was danger here, and now that he was in Chloe’s room, the Doctor could feel the ionic energy in his bones. What he needed to do was have a look around.

“What the hell was that?!” Trish asked, finally catching up.

“A drawing,” Rose told her, “the face of a man.”

He walked up to one of the walls, plastered with more drawings, and put on his specs.

“What face?”

“Best not,” he heard Rose say, and _good_ . He didn’t want to deal with _that_ until he absolutely had to. He moved from the wall to the table, picking up what he assumed must be Chloe’s latest picture.

“What’ve you been drawing?”

“I drew him yesterday.”

The Doctor looked up and turned, curious.

“Who?” Trish asked.

“Dad.”

“Your dad? But he’s long gone. Chloe, with all the lovely things in the world, why him?” she practically demanded. Oh dear.

“I dream about him, staring at me.”

He quickly looked back down at the drawing, instinctually not wanting to get involved in their domestics. Rose’s mental chastisement wasn’t as strong as it could have been, so that was … good? Anyway, he needed to figure this out. Ionic drawings. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see some of the ones on the wall move. So strange. How?

“I thought we were putting him behind us. What’s the matter with you?”

“Yes, we do.”

The Doctor took in every inch of the drawing. Ordinary paper. Ordinary pencils. All typical Earth stuff.

“No. Not you, us,” Chloe countered. 

Ahh. He felt he had an idea of what was going on now, and he didn’t like it.

_What?_ Rose inquired telepathically.

_Gimme a mo’_. He threw his barriers back up, needing to think, think, think.

“We need to stay together, and then it’ll be alright,” Chloe continued as she finally allowed her mother to give her a hug.

“Trish,” Rose asked, “the drawings. Have you seen what Chloe’s drawings can do?”

“Who gave you permission to come into her room? Get out of my house,” Trish said, angry and oh so afraid.

“Tell us about the drawings, Chloe.” This time he wasn’t asking.

“I don’t want to hear anymore of this.”

“But that drawing of her dad. I heard a voice. He spoke,” his wife insisted.

“He’s dead. And these, they’re kid’s pictures. Now get out!”

“Chloe has a power,” Rose said, guessing because he hadn’t told her yet, but she was close enough, “and I don’t know how, but she’s used it to take Danny Edwards, Dale Hicks. She’s using it to snatch the kids.”

“Get out!” Trish yelled.

“Have you seen those drawings move?”

“I haven’t seen anything,” she denied, but he knew she was lying. They both did.

“Yes, you have, out of the corner of your eye.”

“No.”

“And you dismissed it,” the Doctor continued, finally finished with investigating and walking towards her, needing her to understand, needing her to _help_ , “because what choice do you have when you see something you can’t possibly explain? You dismiss it, right? And if anyone mentions it, you get angry, so it’s never spoken of ever again.”

“She’s a child.”

“You’re terrified of her. But there’s nowhere to turn to, because who’s going to believe the things you see out of the corner of your eye? No one. Except us.” He held her gaze, willing her to _trust_ them.

“Who are you?” Trish asked.

“We’re help.”

Trish let out a noise that was half huff, half sob, before gesturing for them to leave the room. Rose quickly headed out and he followed, not paying attention to whatever it was Trish was saying to Chloe.

_Something is influencing, possessing that child_ , he told Rose telepathically as they half ran down the stairs, finally letting his absolute fury broadcast fully.

_What can we do?_

_I don’t know,_ he bit out, following her into the kitchen as Trish joined them. _I need to_ think.

Once inside, he was quick to spot a jar of jam. Perfect! Great thinking food. He opened it, sticking his fingers in.

“Ahem.”

The Doctor looked up.

_Not other people’s jam, ya don’t_ , Rose had the decency to keep the conversation in their heads even as she shook her head. He looked over to see Trish watching him and quickly put down the jar.

“Those pictures,” she began, “they’re alive. She’s drawing people and they end up in her pictures.”

“Ionic energy. Chloe’s harnessing it to steal those kids and place them in some kind of holding pen made up of ionic power.”

“And what about the dad from hell in her wardrobe?” Rose asked, making a very good point.

“How many times do I have to tell you he’s dead!” Trish exclaimed.

“Well, he’s got a very loud voice for a dead bloke.” His bondmate rolled her eyes.

“If living things can become drawings, then maybe drawings can become living things.” The Doctor shivered. “Chloe’s real dad is dead, but not the one who visits her in her nightmares. That dad seems very real. That’s the dad she’s drawn and he’s a heartbeat away from crashing into this world.”

He looked up at the ceiling, starting to get a little scared himself.

“She always got the worst of it when he was alive,” Trish told them.

“Doctor, how can a twelve year old girl be doing any of this?” Rose asked, before adding telepathically, _What kind of thing is possessing her? Can we fix it?_

He raised an eyebrow.

_I don’t wanna scare her mum anymore than she already is_.

Ah.

“Let’s find out,” he said, knowing what he was going to have to do and not liking it one bit.

_I don’t know what this is going to be like for you_ , he told Rose across the bond as they made their way back upstairs, _but I’m going to have to go into her head. Make her go to sleep._

_That’s fine. Whatever we need to do_.

They entered Chloe’s bedroom to find her sitting quietly on her bed. When he walked up to her, she gave him a Vulcan salute.

“Nice one,” he told her before kneeling in front of her, placing his hands over her temples, and quickly putting her to sleep. “There we go.”

“I can’t let him do this.”

“Shush, it’s okay. Trust him,” he heard his wife saying as he helped Chloe to lay down comfortably.

“Now we can talk.”

“I want Chloe,” whispered a creature who was definitely _not_ Chloe, but using her voice. “Wake her up. I want Chloe.”

“Who are you?” he asked.

“I want Chloe Webber.”

“What have you done to my little girl?”

“Doctor, what is it?” Rose asked.

“I’m speaking to you, the entity that is using this human child. I request parley in compliance with the Shadow Proclamation,” he demanded.

“I don’t care about shadows or parleys,” it said.

“So what do you care about?”

“I want my friends.”

“You’re lonely, I know. Identify yourself,” he knelt down, trying for a more gentle approach.

“I am one of many. I travel with my brothers and sisters. We take an endless journey. A thousand of your lifetimes. But now I am alone. I hate it. It’s not fair, and I hate it.”

And that rang a bell, it did, but he didn’t have time for riddles.

“Name yourself!”

“Isolus,” it finally told him.

“You’re Isolus. Of course.” Everything made sense now.

“Our journey began in the Deep Realms when we were a family.” The Isolus began to use Chloe’s hand to draw at a speed much faster than humans were capable of.

“What’s that?” Trish asked.

“The Isolus Mother, drifting in deep space,” he explained, not knowing how he hadn’t seen it before. “See, she jettisons millions of fledgling spores. Her children. The Isolus are empathic beings of intense emotions, but when they’re cast off from their mother, their empathic link, their need for each other, is what sustains them. They _need_ to be together. They _cannot_ be alone.”

“Our journey is long,” the lonely creature said.

“The Isolus children travel, each inside a pod. They ride the heat and energy of solar tides. It takes thousands and thousands of years for them to grow up.”

“Thousands of years just floating through space. Poor things. Don’t they go mad with boredom?” Rose asked.

“We play,” it said.

“You play?”

“While they travel, they play games. They use their ionic power to literally create make believe worlds in which to play,” the Doctor elaborated, sitting down on the bed.

“In flight entertainment.”

“Helps keep them happy. While they’re happy, they can feed off each other's love. Without it, they’re lost. Why did you come to Earth?” he asked.

Children. It was just another child. A lonely child.

“We were too close.” The Isolus continued to draw.

“That’s a solar flare from your sun. Would have made a tidal wave of solar energy that scattered the Isolus pods.”

“Only I fell to Earth. My brothers and sisters are left up there, and I cannot reach them. So alone.”

“Your pod crashed. Where is it?”

“My pod was drawn to heat,” it told him, “and I was drawn to Chloe Webber. She was like me, alone. She needed me, and I, her.”

“You empathized with her. You wanted to be with her because she was alone like you,” he tried to comfort it.

_Poor thing_. Rose’s side of the bond was becoming more and more chaotic, different emotions rising and falling faster than he could afford to decipher at the moment. Something was wrong, but it would have to wait.

“I want my family. It’s not fair.”

“I understand, you want to make a family. But you can’t stay in this child. It’s wrong,” he tried to reason with it. “You can’t steal any more friends for yourself.”

“I am alone.”

“I’m coming to hurt you. I’m coming,” the drawing of Chloe’s nightmare-father began to shake the doors of her cupboard.

“Trish, how do you calm her?” he asked quickly.

“What?”

“When she has nightmares, what do you do?”

“I- I-”

“What do you do?”

“I sing to her.”

“Then start singing.”

“Chloe, I’m coming,” it threatened. The Doctor jumped off of the bed so that Trish could take his place.

“Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree. Merry, merry king of the bush is he-” she sang.

“Chloe. Chloe. Chloe. Chloe.”

“- Laugh, Kookaburra laugh, Kookaburra gay your life must be. Laugh, Kookaburra, laugh, Kookaburra, gay your life must be.”

The shouts and bangs ceased as Chloe was soothed by her mother.

“He came to her because she was lonely. Chloe, I’m sorry,” Trish cried.

Peacefully asleep, they left her, going back downstairs and into the living room.

“You’ll want to take away all of the pencils,” the Doctor suggested.

“Right, right,” Trish sniffed, walking around the living room with purpose as Rose sat down.

“It’s gonna be okay,” his wife tried to comfort her.

“Chloe usually got the brunt of his temper when he’d had a drink,” Trish told them as she raced about, gathering pencils. “The day he crashed the car, I thought we were free. I thought it was over.”

“Did you talk to her about it?” Rose asked.

“I didn’t want to.”

“But maybe that’s why Chloe feels so alone. Because she has all these terrible dreams about her dad, but she can’t talk to you about them.”

“Her and the Isolus. Two lonely kids who need each other,” he pointed out. It made sense, in a sad way.

“And it won’t stop, will it, Doctor? It’ll just keep pulling kids in.”

“It’s desperate to be loved. It’s used to a pretty big family.”

“How big?” she asked.

“Say, around four billion?”

Rose’s jaw dropped, a spike of shock making its way through all of the chaos before she looked away. And then - nothing. She somehow put up enough barriers that he could barely register her. He grabbed his coat and she sat up. 

“We need that pod,” the Doctor told her as they exited the Webber’s house, trying to ignore the increased silence. He _hated it_ . It still wasn’t as bad as it had been, back when his head was completely empty. But it wasn’t _right_.

“It crashed. Won’t it be destroyed?”

“Well, it’s been sucking in all the heat it can. Hopefully that should keep it in a fit state to launch. It must be close. It should have a weak energy signature that the TARDIS can trace. Once we find it, then we can stop the Isolus,” he explained as they quickly made their way back to the ship.

And he was doing his best not to mention their bond, to allow her the privacy she obviously needed. It was just funny, really, how much he seemed to have in common with a lonely empathic being.

“We can scan for the same trace that I picked up from the scribble creature,” he continued. “We’d need to widen the field a bit.”

They entered the TARDIS and he began running around, grabbing parts to make a scanner, calling out directions to Rose.

“You knew the Isolus was lonely before it told you. How?” she asked him after a bit, as they sat and put the thing together.

“I know what it’s like to travel a long way on your own. Give me the styner-magnetic- the thing in your left hand.”

“Sounds like you’re on its side,” she accused and he didn’t understand. He wished that she would let him _in_.

“I sympathize, that’s all.”

“The Isolus has caused a lot of pain for these people.”

“It’s a child. That’s why it went to Chloe. Two lonely mixed up kids.”

“Feels to me like a temper tantrum because it can’t get its own way,” she huffed. The Doctor wondered if this was really what she was so upset about, what had her blocking herself off.

“It’s scared. Come on, you were a kid once,” he tried to explain. “Binary dot.”

“Yes, and I know what kids can be like. Right little terrors.”

“Gum,” he requested, and she spat it into his hand before continuing.

“I’ve got cousins. Kids can’t have it all their own way. That’s part of being a family.”

“What about trying to understand them?” he asked, trying to put most of his focus into the scanner.

“Easy for you to say. You don’t have kids,” she almost laughed, but even without their connection being active he could tell her heart wasn’t in it.

“I was a dad once,” he admitted, trying his best to be nonchalant. He’d told her already that he’d been married, and she hadn’t seemed to be upset about it. Couldn’t be too sure, though.

“What did you say?” she turned, and he could feel a tremor in her barriers. Oh, how he wished she’d drop them.

He paused, looking up from the almost completed scanner.

“Before. Way before. Back- they were grown, centuries old before the war. But still.”

“Why didn’t you ever tell me?” she asked.

“Because. Because I don’t like to think about it.”

Rose’s barriers dropped, and so much _love_ and _comfort_ was immediately projected to him. He sighed as she wrapped him in a slightly awkward side-hug, careful not to jostle the scanner.

“Y’know we’re gonna have to come back to this, yeah?”

“I had a feeling,” he grimaced, but it was worth it, really, having her nice and in his head again.

_Sorry ‘bout that_.

“It’s alright. We need boundaries, I get it.” Kind of.

“No, no. You really like the telepathy. Need it, even. I shouldn’ta done it. I’m sorry.”

The Doctor refocused on the scanner, not fancying the implication that he _needed_ it, even if she might be right.

“I think we’re there. Fear, loneliness. They’re the big ones, Rose,” he told her, standing up to adjust some settings on the TARDIS, hopefully distracting her. “Some of the most terrible acts ever committed have been inspired by them. We’re not dealing with something that wants to conquer or destroy. There’s a lot of things you need to get across the universe. Warp drive, wormhole refractors. You know the thing you need most of all? You need a hand to hold.”

When he looked up, her hand was reaching toward him and he happily took it.

“No, look, I’m pointing,” she laughed, still weaving their fingers together anyway.

“It’s the pod! It is in the street!” he exclaimed. “Everything’s coming up Doctor.”

“Think it’s supposed to be ‘roses’,” she smirked, giving him a tongue-in-teeth grin, mental laughter making him feel all happy and tingly.

“But then you get all the fun!” he accused as they headed back to the street. “Okay. It’s about two inches across. Dull grey, like a gull’s egg. Very light.”

“So these pods they travel from sun to sun using heat, yeah? So it’s not all about love and stuff. Doesn’t the pod just-”

Faster than he could even process, the Doctor found himself surrounded by nothing. Everything tingled and- ah! Ugh, he could _taste it_. He was in a drawing. It was all- all metal-y and somehow paper-y.

“Eww.”

Worst of all, he couldn’t feel Rose at all. He looked around, pacing, finding that he had a very limited amount of space. The TARDIS was with him - ish. When he tried the doors, there was nothing behind them. Figured, really. For a moment, he thought he felt Rose, and then she was gone. Maybe she’d gotten close to the drawing he was in? It was hard to say. 

Then he _really_ felt her, and she was _furious_. Not at him, but still. He sat down and focused on the bond, trying to hear her. Oh! She had the pod, but didn’t know what to do with it! Brilliant! As fast as he could, the Doctor dug into his pockets until he found some crayons. He really hoped this worked.

It didn’t turn out _well_ , he hadn’t been lying when he said he wasn’t good at drawing, but there. He’d made a torch. Eerie how it just seemed to float in mid-air.

He could feel the moment his wife understood what he was trying to say. _Rassilon_ , she was amazing. And then she was gone, hopefully off saving the world. So the Doctor stretched, and waited.

Soon enough he crashed out of the drawing, back onto the street. He barely took a moment to breathe before he was running, needing to make sure that the Isolus pod launched. 

He could feel Rose’s distress over the bond, and quickly projected everything that he was doing, trying to reassure her.

_Doctor!_

She projected her own situation, and he cursed under his breath. But she didn’t need him, not really, quickly figuring out how to save the Webber’s - with song! _Molto bene_! 

World class runner, him, so he followed along and was able to grab the torch as soon as the official bearer fell under the weight of the charging pod.

_I’m watchin’ you on the telly_ , Rose told him and ho, ho! Limited connection while he was trapped in an ion cage, but look at that planetary range!

“Go on. Join your brothers and sisters. They’ll be waiting,” he smiled, happy to have a day where everyone lived. Those were the best kinds of adventures. Then he was running again, racing back to his waiting bondmate.

The moment he made it back to the block, Rose crashed into his arms, planting a kiss on his cheek.

“I missed you,” she told him.

“And I missed you.”

He held her tightly, and she shifted a bit, moving a hand between them.

“Cake?” she offered, presenting him with a cupcake, complete with edible ball bearings.

He laughed. “Top banana!” The Doctor immediately shoved it into his mouth. “Mmm. I can’t stress this enough. Ball bearings you can eat, masterpiece.”

“I thought I’d lost you,” Rose told him as she pulled him into another hug.

“Nah. Not on a night like this. This is a night for lost things being found. Come on,” he said, taking her hand and leading her down the street.

“What now?”

“I want to go to the Games. It’s what we came for. Get this honeymoon back on track.”

“Go on, give us a clue. Which events do we do well in?” his wife asked, cuddling his arm.

“Well, I will tell you this. Papua New Guinea surprises everyone in the shot put.”

“Really? You’re joking, aren’t you? Doctor, are you serious or are you joking?”

“Wait and see,” he laughed, and then fireworks began going off above their heads.

“You know what? They keep trying to split us up, but they never ever will.”

“You’re sure about that, eh?”

“Yeah, we’ll always be okay, you an-”

And then his entire body shook as a storm of potential timelines shook and broke around him. They weren’t just any potential timelines - they’d been _theirs_.

“What was _that_?!” Rose asked, breathless.

“You felt it too?”

“Yeah, but what _was_ it?”

He looked up at the fireworks, trying to think of how best to explain it.

“Remember when we landed in that parallel world? And I told you that there were no parallel Time Lords?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, our choices can’t create alternate dimensions, but they can still create alternate timelines when we interact with those whose actions _can_ be translated into parallel worlds. Part of why we had such a strict non-interference policy.”

“You? Not interfering?” she outright laughed.

“Shush. As I was saying, alternate timelines. I have them. And a bunch of them just- just- I don’t know. It’s almost as if they _ended_ , but that’s not right. I think they just became impossible. Choices, horrible things … I’m getting flashes, a bit. I’ll have to try to sort through it later, but it really feels like in a different timeline, different time _lines_ , something very bad happened.”

“But it’s not gonna happen to _us_.”

“No, no. Everything’s fine with _our_ timelines. But I shouldn’t be able to know that. Makes me wonder what’s coming.” His brow furrowed as he looked away from the light show and at his bondmate, bathed in flashing colored lights.

“Well, whatever it is, we’re gonna be fine. Like I was sayin’.”

“Yeah,” he smiled, pulling her closer, “we’ll always be okay.”

It was a promise, and he sealed it with a kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!!
> 
> Kudos = always appreciated, & I would absolutely love to hear your feedback!!


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